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Hey guys,
This is my first serious thread, so please hit me over the head with a frying pan if I did anything wrong. I won't take it personally. I tried to search the forums for an answer to this question but I couldn't find a thread about it, so here goes...
I'm sorta looking at the Droid 3 as a replacement for my Milestone. I've also looked at the Desire Z, but I'd really like to have a dedicated number row, which is one reason I'm not too keen on the Desire Z. So the Droid 3 looks pretty good to me right now, but it depends on how the keyboard feels.
My question is basically, has anyone who's owned a Droid or a Milestone (or any of the other phys-key phones) bought one of these, and can they tell me how the keyboard feels in comparison? Since I'd have to import it, I can't really go out to the store and try it for myself, which is what I'd normally do. Preferably I'd like to hear if the keys feel like they are just one plastic sheet, or actual different buttons. That's my main complaint with the Milestone, that all the buttons feel like they're connected and just cut out.
(Note: I don't want to start an argument about physical keyboards vs. virtual keyboards. I can't live without my QWERTY! )
Had an OG Droid with the bubbling keyboard issue. So in my experience this is much, much better. Keys feel great, perfect size, etc.
Sent from my DROID3 using xda premium
I had an OG droid since day 1... 3 days ago I picked up a D3 and I have to tell you, the absolute best part about the phone is how exceptional the keyboard is. The Keyboard is the #1 reason I picked up the D3, I just cant stand using a touchscreen to type.
The phone has it's flaws, but I couldn't be happier having such an excellent keyboard. Totally worth it man.
i have 3 milestones, each with a slightly different physical keyboard (one completely flat, on slightly raised, and one really raised), and a couple of my mates have desire z's. i havent played with a d2/ milestone 2, but what i can say is that the d3's keyboard is infinitely better than any of my milestones, and better than the desire z's... the buttons on the d3 are much much easier to press than the ones on the milestone
it took me a while to get used to the d3 cause if the slightly larger size, but after a week or 2 i'm back to being able to type without looking, and i'm probably a little faster than i was with my milestone.
Thanks guys, that sounds reassuring! It sure looks like a good device too. I might hold off until some ROMs start showing up and development becomes fired up (Cyanogenmod is so lovely on my Milestone, I don't know if I could go back to stock), but it's definitely at the top of my to-get list with comments like that.
And yeah, I tried the Desire Z briefly with a friend and it was ok, but I didn't like the hinge (maybe it was my friend's set that was bad, but it didn't snap, so it would get stuck halfway, and if you held it upside down, it would just sort of hang there and get in the way of the keyboard)... And the number row is a big deal for me, too!
The keyboard feels like each key is an independent button. Sort of like the newer 'Chiclet' style keyboards on laptops and netbooks. Honestly, it is the best physical smartphone keyboard I have ever used.
The keyboard is the reason I got the Droid 3 over the Bionic.
D3 definitely feels like the keyboard has seperated keys, extremely nice to use in hand
I'm pretty sure this verdict will all depend on what phone you're coming from. I had a Touch Pro2 and that keyboard was amazing, arguable the best available to date. After having the D3 activated and under use for about 6 hours i'm not as impressed as I would have liked. One thing that is really bugging me is the sliding mechanism...I did see on all the reviews that they mentioned there was no spring in it but I really underestimated how hard it would be to open the keyboard, especially with the thin styling (not much to push against). I always find myself pushing slowly until i hear the 'click,' because i don't want to damage it but need to slide it all the way to reveal all the keys. Also the buttons are a little smaller than the TP2 so this will be a learning curve for me...it took me about a month to get used to a Blackberry I had as a temp phone so I'm hoping I'll get accustomed to this one just as quickly if not faster.
I'm almost positive in the end it will be more than satisfying. Just sort of a downgrade for me.
Easily the best physical keyboard I've ever used. The keys have a nice layout, perfect spacing and size, and the click is just right.
GoogleAndroid said:
Easily the best physical keyboard I've ever used. The keys have a nice layout, perfect spacing and size, and the click is just right.
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Like (almost) everyone says . . . they keyboard is exceptional. I thought the Atrix4g was well made, but this D3 takes the cake. It's hard for me to believe I once thought that HTCs were well-made phones. Moto has come a long way in build quality since my squeaky, uncomfortable-to-do anything with Timeport!
So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.
But skins are so incredibly ugly and IMO they don't make the phone that much more user friendly (definitely not enough to justify their appearance and sluggishness). TouchWiz on the GS4 still looks like it's meant to run on Gingerbread and it causes random lag where no modern phone should have any trouble.
The quick settings in the notification bar are there, and I think it's just as good an implementation on stock because you can see more of your notifications at any one time. In TouchWiz they take up about half of the notification tray with quick settings, in stock a two fingered swipe or a tap in the top right corner will take you to them. You can edit them and make them easier to get to using a custom ROM, and while you may argue that you shouldn't have to do that it's ludicrously straightforward on a Nexus device.
A custom kernel should also fix your battery drain. I'm getting through a day without any issues and I'm perfectly happy with that. Currently my phone has had 1 day 1 hour of usage with 1 hr 30 minutes screen on time and 45% battery left. Note that the screen was on full brightness during this and Wifi and auto sync were left on.
When you say it acts like 5MP do you mean that the quality is crap or that it's literally taking photos at a 5MP size? If it's the first then that's true and there's really nothing that can be done. If it's the latter then open the camera, press anywhere on the screen to bring up the circle control, go to the settings option (the one that looks like a bunch of sliders) and change the picture size to 8MP.
Personally, I loved my N4 from the moment I got it. After calibration the screen was just about the best I'd seen (and I flashed it straight away, only used stock for a minute or two), it was the smoothest Android experience I had ever had and (unlike my HD2) everything just worked flawlessly for me.
Best phone I ever owned.
Flash a rom + kernel to get the features you're missing. If no likey, return and purchase other phone.
Tip: don't continue with praising skins of HTC or Samsung instead of aosp. Will only get you flamed..
Sounds about right. The best feature is being bland and featureless with the greatest potential to be customized. You are just at the most basic, boring, least impressive starting point. The rest is kind of up to you. Just my opinion.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
dweekie said:
Sounds about right. The best feature is being bland and featureless with the greatest potential to be customized. You are just at the most basic, boring, least impressive starting point. The rest is kind of up to you. Just my opinion.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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I'd take this supposed 'blandness' any day over slow, sluggish and ugly OEM skins.
There are many things on this phone that make it great, such as the screen, silky smoothness and more. But first thing out of the box I was a bit disappointed as well because it has no battery percentage. It annoyed me because I can't tell how much battery life I have left unless I download a widget or pull down the bar. But, I ended up flashing the percentage mod, then flashing kernel, then a rom. Now I can't look back. Battery life got better, colors on my screen got even better and best of all I got a percentage on my battery.
If you compare the battery to something like GS3, this is better, so you might just have to let the phone settle in.
slugger09 said:
So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.
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Skins like Sense and TW only bloat the system. You will get use to the pure experience pretty quick and then you will grow to hate skins
I have always carried my devices naked (the device not me) and don't have any issues with the Nexus naked. It's a bit slippery but you will adjust to that quickly and hold the device a bit tighter.
The battery starts off horrid! It really takes several drain and recharge cycles for the battery to get up to par. Mine makes it through the day just fine now.
Mega pixels don't really mean much if you are not developing poster sized photos. Try using HDR mode and see if you like the photos better.
My .02
Did you not even do any research before getting this phone?? This is vanilla android and most people get this phone for that reason. If you are used to some added skins like Thouchwhiz, Sense, or Motoblur and like that, you should have stuck with one of those phones. Otherwise, root the phone and get to modding and theming or install a cost rom that is feature rich.
slugger09 said:
So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.
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Hi!
1. The airplane mode is there. Just swipe down the notification bar with TWO fingers. Then you get lots of toggle-settings including the airplane mode. The orientation screen lock is not there though. HOWEVER; installing custom ROMs will most likely ADD many more features in the toggles area (like orientation) and so forth.
2. For battery drain, try flashing a custom kernel, such as Franco.Kernel. Not only does it improve battery, but you may calibrate your screen (his app includes a preset for lovely colors + deep blacks), and much more. If you want you can undervolt/overclock as well. Note that you can have a custom kernel while still keeping the STOCK rom installed (default andoird 4.2.2 for example).
I personally enjoy stock android (so I haven't installed a ROM), but i felt francos kernel REALLY improved the device. The battery is improved (doesnt drain as much, nor does the phone heat up as much as before). Also the colors of the screen turned really wonderful aftering being calibrated to 2.2gamma.
Basicly, if you are unhappy, look into some ROMs and kernels. You can find almost anything you want :good:
Different strokes, different folks.. OP gave it a shot and gave an honest, un-smug opinion... It is what it is. Some people just like the gloss on top.. Nothing wrong with that.
slugger09 said:
So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.
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Click to collapse
Instant love with the N4. Sold it away after a couple of months, went around owning other phones like the iPhone 5, Note 2, GS3, Xperia ZL. Have now come back to the N4. But then again, I knew what I was getting into coz I had the GNex before this.
The point of stock android, is not that it offers features other skins dont. What makes it attractive is that it offers a solid, no BS foundation to which you can add tweaks and functionality suited individually to YOU. You say you want Airplane mode in quick settings, maybe battery percentage next to the battery? Guess what there is a tweak for that and much more. But what happens when you are on TW and you dont want to look like an idiot waving you hands all over the screen in public? Sure you can disable that, but it doesnt mean its gone. Still cramping the software and taking up space. Again, this is just an example. As for battery drain, try kernels like Franco or Trinity. Install BBS and cull out the rogue apps.
You said its your first nexus. Stick around, read and you'll find out what a great piece of hardware this is in perfect sync with the software.
Definitely the best android phone I've owned, coming from a one x and one s and those were great devices as well. Only problem I see is the battery..I leave school with about 10-30% usually around 3 but other than that I love this phone
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
styckx said:
Different strokes, different folks.. OP gave it a shot and gave an honest, un-smug opinion... It is what it is. Some people just like the gloss on top.. Nothing wrong with that.
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Agreed. Btw if anyone thought my posts were meant to be insulting or rude they weren't, they're just my opinions on OEM skins.
OP should check out the Power Toggles app on the Play Store for notification bar toggles, works just like Sense type toggles with customizability.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc&hl=en
Yes I think it just needs a few tweaks here and there, not going to the extent of a custom ROM just a kernel etc, first need to work out how to unlock the bootloader and root
Nigeldg said:
Agreed. Btw if anyone thought my posts were meant to be insulting or rude they weren't, they're just my opinions on OEM skins.
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Nah not at all. I posted my thoughts without even reading the rest of the replies. I'm just so used to people taking a licking for daring to not like a Nexus I just assumed maybe OP got a little heat. Apparently it was rather civil.. :good: :laugh::victory:
I love mine, came from a phone with htc sense, and sense was one of the things that killed "skins" for me. That being said yeah there's pluses and minuses to both. Stock Android is just as capable but your going to have to dig and get some apps from the market to get all the features oems put in their skins. I prefer it that way, I can pretty much make my phone perfect to me. I really feel like with an oem skin you don't get the full customizing experience, and that's why I like raw android. However it's not for everyone. Different strokes for different folks
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Phones should come with a 24 hour buyers remorse warranty. Just return it if you're not satisfied. Though, if you're willing to follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole, I'm sure you'll be in awe on how much you can do with Android, let alone the Nexus 4.
slugger09 said:
Yes I think it just needs a few tweaks here and there, not going to the extent of a custom ROM just a kernel etc, first need to work out how to unlock the bootloader and root
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if u really want to unlock the bootloader, you should do it right away, and before actually using the phone, because unlocking it would erase all your personal data (like a phone reset). or you can back up ur phone.
rooting is super easy. 1st, install custom recovery, 2nd, flash supersu zip, and done.
I really love mine, picked it up over a month ago. I thought LTE would be my major gripe but my carrier supports the N4's DC-HSPA radio so in most areas I can get up to 22-23 mbps download speeds where the S3 was getting around 30 on LTE in the same areas (although much better upload speeds). I'm pretty happy with that considering my older HSPA phone was only getting 6-7 max.
I was strongly considering also owning an LTE phone too since I still haven't used my upgrade yet, but I've played with both the One and the S4 and I simply disliked the button layouts of both phones. I'm going to hold off until one of the OEM's releases a flagship that stays closer to the standard layout. The new Xperia phones do, but they're using basically the same hardware as the Nexus 4 anyway which would basically be a sidegrade+LTE and not a significant upgrade. Looks like my final hopes for owning two phones is going to rest with Motorola or Nexus 5 now. I'm very satisfied with this for now though.
Hi all,
I was wondering how frequently everyone is using their S-pen here and if they feel its actualyl helpful/gimmick, as I never had a note before and soon be getting the note 4.
Furthermore, how useful do you find fingerprint scanner note 4 compared to the iphone button one.
feedback will be appriciated!
I used to think it was gimmicky until I got my note 12.2 tablet where the s pen is invaluable.
Which tempted me to this phone and again I find myself using it all the time purely because it is so much more accurate than my finger.
Only thing is mine seems to be so sensitive that I can't type with it using googles keyboard without typing multiple letters at a time, minor annoyance.
Sent from my SM-N910F
love to use the S Pen . It's So accurate and easy to use. | likto write with it because in landscape I'm faster with writing then with typing
soulfrigger said:
love to use the S Pen . It's So accurate and easy to use. | likto write with it because in landscape I'm faster with writing then with typing
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During the day, I virtually never use it, especially if I'm in a rush, but at home I've found value in it.
0k while I'm driving I can't use it =D
Definitely a gimmick, but a really well made and presented gimmick at that.
I've found myself using s-note every time now to write lists and memos, pinning them to the homescreen, so the gimmick has come to life although previously I was happy with Google Keep (which is s-pen friendly) and will probably drift back to that for lists especially.
oursoul said:
Definitely a gimmick, but a really well made and presented gimmick at that.
I've found myself using s-note every time now to write lists and memos, pinning them to the homescreen, so the gimmick has come to life although previously I was happy with Google Keep (which is s-pen friendly) and will probably drift back to that for lists especially.
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Not a gimmick. Use it a lot more than when I had the Note 2 3 and 8., I use it for business.
I use the pen for everything. Hardly ever use my fingers.
I couldn't live without it. I use it for making notes and I use it for sketching and painting.
For me it's essential. I've had Note 10.1 for years now and wrote hundrends on pages (notes at university and at work) on it. I bought Note 4 because of the stylus and I have already moved to it for taking notes. I recommend LectureNotes - it takes a bit of configuration to work great on such high resolution screen (you have to make the default pens much, much thicker) but then it is better than S Note (it has folders for example).
Never use the Pen... even on my Note Pro. You can't really write with it like a normal pen, and I can't think of a use outside of that.
The fingerprint scanner works if you register the same finger 3 times, and you're not in a hurry or haven't been swimming/shower.
If you're calm the success rate is 80%, as soon as you're in a hurry to unlock the phone success rate goes down to 40%.
Personally, I was quite surprised at how much it IS like a normal pen, particularly with the palm rejection on most Samsung apps. Plus putting a Spigen Crystal screen protector on gave it a little bit more drag and made it even better. In terms of writing quality, my handwriting is not as neat as on paper, but for scribbly notes that doesn't matter!
There are two reasons I bought the Note 4:
1. I just started Uni a month ago, and I didn't want to spend half of my living funds on paper. Plus its handy having literally all of your notes on you, all the time.
2. I am the kind of person that thinks of something that I need to do later, but rather than get a piece of paper and write it down, I just tell myself that I'll remember. Obviously my memory isn't that good so I always forget, but with a pen attached to your phone its really satisfying to add it to an S Note.
No regrets moving from a stock Nexus 5 to TouchWiz!
I use the Spen almost all the time, it is far more accurate than my fat fingers and using the handwriting recognition is getting better every day as I use it, it also gives me a way to work on my handwriting to make it legible as until recently even I couldn't read my own writing.
And the Fingerprint scanner works all the time unless I have something on my finger
I don't use it much, but I really like it when I need it. I mainly find myself using it on non mobile websites that have hover menu's. It's also good for the odd time I need to make a quick 'note' or maybe grab a picture from something.
For clarity I use the S Pen for UI and multi tasking but taking notes for hours I use the Wacom Bamboo Feel pen. Also if you don't know Microsoft OneNote works well on Samsang Galaxy Note devices for viewing as well as input.
---------- Post added at 09:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 AM ----------
See here for thread on stylus option http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2910462
rayone said:
Never use the Pen... even on my Note Pro. You can't really write with it like a normal pen, and I can't think of a use outside of that
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Actually you can. I wrote hundreds of pages on my Note 10.1. If you are finding it difficult to write make sure: 1) you use the rubber ending (default in newer Notes), 2) try using a larger pen (although they are pricy).
This is yet another very subjective question, with thousands of variables... for me, I use the S-Pen more every day. I don't work at a desk most of the day. I have lots of random thoughts and lots of small little notes that I take. IE, jotting down a quick note every time I see a small project I want to add to one of my staff's work list for that day (I find writing it down when I notice it, rather than trying to recall it when I am actually leaving my directions for the next shift to be a huge benefit). I also do a lot of jotting down of things to find in the stockroom. I used to write notes on my hands with item numbers, etc. Short little notes I might only need for a few seconds. The ability to jot them down and have them at the ready has saved me lots of time... (I also found that the writing notes on your hand, or on the back of another note, or even on a box, doesn't work when you don't have a pen in your pocket!)
So for me, it has value and would definitely be missed without it. Its a decision making feature for me that will keep me with the Note line so long as it exists.
Calibrated for right handed people. That's crap, if you're leftie, and no way to switch or recalibrate. Really messes with my writing and drawing
Sent from my SM-N910W8
I use s-pen all the time for navigation but not for handwriting though. It is sooooo nice to have s-pen sensitive back and menu buttons! Any tip on using s-pen for home or invoking dock/apps?
I never used the S-Pen before, but now, with the Note 4, I use it very frequently! It kinda acts like a mouse for Web browsing, which is fantastic!
Sent from my SM-N910F using XDA Free mobile app
There seems to be plenty of people moaning about what they don't like, there is a Note 4 Let Down Thread, so I wanna read some positive comments about what we DO like about the Note 4 in General, it doesn't matter which model you got, but if you feel happy about it please share your positive thoughts.
-Personally I Like the style of the phone.
-I also like the fact that its made from metal (well most of it) except the battery door which comes always in handy and its another pro about this phone, the access to the battery and micro sd card.
-Of course it runs on Android which I love.
-I like the screen which is amazing
-I like the camera, both, the front camera and rear camera.
-I like the S-pen and yes I use it everyday when I go to the gym, I keep track of my workouts, weights, reps, all in one place, I have a phone, a music player, a great camera shooter, and a notebook, and we all must thank Samsung for this, if not go back and read about what people though about the first Note device.
-I like the fact we still have the LED for notifications, which a lot of manufactures still forgetting about it.
-I like the battery life, yes I know, I have read about all the complains, but its not in my case, yes I have 90% of Samsung bloatware turned off, I just use what I like and what I need.
- I like how easily I can access a hard drive or any external storage via OTG.
-I like the IR Blaster, which not a lot of devices have it, and they should.
-I like the S Health app, and yes, i use the heart rate monitor, im into fitness, and yes this app help me track all my workouts, ive even improve in my diets.
Of course there are plenty of stuff I just forgot right now, but I hope you guys help me to remember them by commenting your positive thoughts and everything you like and what makes you feel good and special about the Note 4,
IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT COMPLAINS AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS PLEASE SEARCH AROUND THERE ARE PLENTY OF THREADS, NOT HERE, THANKS
I love my note 4. I like it's size, the display is beautiful, the battery life is far better than my note 2. It has more space. I like the way it feels in my hand. I paid cash for it so I don't owe tmobile a dime lol...
Overall I love my note 4 and I'm extremely happy with my purchase. I don't have any complaints and I haven't at all since I've had it
It's a hulk, which for my Neanderthal-esque hands helps out a ton.
The screen is gorgeous
The camera is top notch and helps me, who happens to be one of the worst picture takers of all time, take good pics.
I use S-Note in my meetings every day.
Build wise it feels great in the hand without a case.
Eventually I can pick up an additional battery pack.
One day it will get an update that stops the ferocious lag lollipop has at times.
Dat screen doe.
Overall, 9/10
It's better than my previous iPhone 6
ixon2001 said:
It's better than my previous iPhone 6
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Comment your reasons...cheers:fingers-crossed:
I've only had my Note 4 since 4/30 but I've yet to find anything that I don't like.. Running stock 5.0.1 using the TouchWiz launcher, and only have the Google apps that don't have a Samsung equivalent enabled! Love this thing!!
mistah_mumford said:
I've only had my Note 4 since 4/30 but I've yet to find anything that I don't like.. Running stock 5.0.1 using the TouchWiz launcher, and only have the Google apps that don't have a Samsung equivalent enabled! Love this thing!!
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Please post everything you like specifically, everything you use, thanks, cheers:fingers-crossed:
I like the battery, the screen size and that is Amoled, Touchwiz features, and that it fits ok in my hand because it's thin. Also I like Samsung is okish with software updates compared to other manufacturers.
Everything the OP said, plus now that we're on Lollipop I can use my MicroSD card properly again with Solid Explorer and other properly updated apps (without rooting). Also like the battery life, regularly 20-30% left at the end of the day with normal usage. Finally, I'm on the N910C with the Wolfson DAC which is giving great sound paired with my Sennheisers - so much so that I just sold my trusty old Sony Walkman on eBay! The sound with PowerAmp, to my ears, was as good if not better. Best smartphone I've owned to date by a long shot. Oh... and the IR, getting that set up now
Forgot that it's also my remote control for every room I visit. I watch whatever I want at the bar now
Best phone ever, I like every single thing about it! It's such a powerful, flexible, customisable phone that can do it all, looks and feels great and I never have to worry about the battery before the end of the day!
Like the metal, is gorgeous to hold. Love that battery and Sim are accessible - wish for nicer back cover though, or at least a larger selection.
Multitasking is fabulous, very effective.
Excellent screen!
Stylus.
Sent from my SM-N910H using XDA Premium HD app
best phone ever
It's the best phone I've ever had hands down, I like the way it feels in the hand, I use a case during the day, but I can't wait to get home to take the case off. That shiny metal rim is the best.
I use public transportation to get to work, and I have caught people reading the news with me.....That screen is just awesome. I have even downloaded 4k videos just for show.
And dont get me started on the stylus.... How did I ever get by without it?! I use it at work to jot down orders, phone numbers, reminders...
The camera experience has probably impressed me the most: from the responsiveness of the camera app to the quality of the photos and videos and finally viewing them on that gorgeous 5.7 inch screen.
Overall since I prefer the 5.7 screen size and like the S-pen features I think the Note 4 is still the best smartphone and will remain so till the Note 5.
Note 4 has been the best phone I've owned bar none.
I just wished there was a way to get updates and not rely on the carrier.
I have an att phone. The only way I can get updates is to borrow an att chip and then I can update my rom.
Totally sucks since I'm on another carrier.
Anyways, enjoying the note 4 experience thus far.
Camera the best.
Lollipop over all is a great experience on the note 4
before i was going to buy a new mobbile i was looking for good looking phone, excellent outdoor brightness, great camera ... developers support good audio ..... big screen..... so i got xperia z3 with big screen compromise but it was way better looking and water and dust proof and front firing speakers and very slim ..... after buying i regretted because there was abbsolutely no developers support..... almost negligible ...so then i got note 4 ....i like it alot ... becauser .. back cover is removable ...... amoled screen ..... super bright ..... developers support is good.... but touchwiz is bad and on aosp roms brightness is very low....
z3 over note 4- had better sound of speakers, better looking, battery life way better , very thin
note 4 over z3- has better brightness , better developer support, back cover removable...i put a leather one on the back ... battery removable, camera is better, screen is bigger. its an amoled which i love because of deep blacks and saturated colors. i love popping colors , the best thing is fast charging.
Hmmm, where do I start?
-That screen is unbelievably good. Bright, vibrant, and there's no way you'd notice the subpixels without a VR headset. Makes me wish we had AMOLED PC monitors on the market already.
-None of that screen space is wasted with onscreen buttons, either! As much as people complain about the physical Home button and all, I actually prefer it and wish the other two buttons were physical like the S Active/Sport line.
-Wacom digitizer support in OneNote and Clover Paint is excellent. The Note 4 even boasts tilt sensitivity!
-I wasn't expecting Gear VR to be immersive due to the obvious performance limitations the Note 4 has compared to a gaming PC, but it's actually astounding how it keeps up with my head movements. Cardboard apps aren't even close, they're a blurred mess by comparison.
-I shouldn't have to bring up microSD card slots of all things as a selling point against the competition, but that's what it's come down to after the S6. They're great for mass media storage and Nandroid backups, since you don't want those backups taking your internal storage space! Too much risk of getting wiped if you're a flashaholic.
-Batteries that can be removed without a heat gun also shouldn't have to be a selling point, but are now. The battery life's plenty for my purposes, but if that's not enough, I can just pop in a second battery or install an extended battery! Phone freezes up or gets wet? Pop that battery! Cells degrade to the point of uselessness after a few years (and they will)? Swap 'em out for some newly-manufactured ones instead of paying some service center to get the dead weight outta your phone!
-Adaptive Fast Charge/Quick Charge 2.0 has spoiled me rotten now. Dead battery to a usable charge in just 30 minutes, near-full charge in an hour? I don't even have to leave the Note 4 on the charger overnight now!
-Sprint doesn't lock the bootloader, so rooting's easy if you don't mind a tripped Knox bit. I don't.
-The camera's good enough, as long as I never have to zoom in.
Thus far, there isn't any other phone on the market I'd rather own, and I'll be more than happy to keep the Note 4 for another two years! All I hope for is that the next two Note generations don't throw out microSD slots and removable batteries like the S6 did, otherwise I might be using that Note 4 longer than anticipated.
I have two things that really make a difference for me and those are the great battery life and finally being able to work from my phone. I get sent contacts and I can edit and sign them on n the phone. There is no need to involve my laptop anymore. This makes commutes by train really productive.
Note 4 on KK is fantastic. Very fast, lots of storage, excellent screen, fabulous battery, glorious smooth glass, the hard metal body feels great, one handed use (just) and it's magnificent S-Pen.
There is just nothing like this phone. I wish Samsung didn't make is users feel second best. I've been messing around with the S6s.... After a while I came running, RUNNING back to my Note 4.
I'm so sorry baby. I'll never let you go again.
*smooch*
Sent from my SM-N910H using XDA Premium HD app
1 - Display
2 - Performance
3 - Sound through earphones
4 - Camera
5 - Build quality
6 - Support (from people here)
7 - Storage
8 - Physical buttons (hate onscreen waste of space)
9 - Removable battery
10 - Its beauty
I'd like to ask you experts some questions regarding this tablet.
My current Nexus 9 is quite slow and has a cracked screen, so I'm looking to replace it with some decent hardware and a close to stock android experience.
I have real trouble finding something suitable, and I'm considering the tab S2 9.7 with the purpose of having a custom rom on it, maybe lineage.
I can't stand the hardware keys that Samsung uses (with the recents and back buttons the wrong way around and still using the bloody kitkat icons)
It would be alright if I could just ignore them and use softkeys navbar instead. Do any custom roms support an on-screen nav bar?
You should upgrade to S2 . Google phone and tablet suks and expensive. It is a very good tablet and reasonable price $250-300 for refurbished one, like new out of the box. As for hardware key, I never use it except home button for fs log in. I use GMD gesture (free) for navigation and it work quite well for back, home, recent apps, full screen. For me I like stock Rom, it is not that bad like people said. It is stable, smooth and good battery.
ASW1 said:
I'd like to ask you experts some questions regarding this tablet.
My current Nexus 9 is quite slow and has a cracked screen, so I'm looking to replace it with some decent hardware and a close to stock android experience.
I have real trouble finding something suitable, and I'm considering the tab S2 9.7 with the purpose of having a custom rom on it, maybe lineage.
I can't stand the hardware keys that Samsung uses (with the recents and back buttons the wrong way around and still using the bloody kitkat icons)
It would be alright if I could just ignore them and use softkeys navbar instead. Do any custom roms support an on-screen nav bar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't like them too. But if you will use it everyday it will subside. Now i even kind of like them. I use them with combination with 'home button' app. I customized it to up-downleft to back button so i don't have to press this squishi home button everytime. I don't think you need custom rom until 8.0. Stock 7.0 is looks good and almost bugless. In a half a year probably. I had and still have nexus 9 too.
I don't think I will subside, I haven't made my choice yet. But if there's no way of using a navigation bar instead of the hard keys that's probably going to be a deal-breaker for me.
I'm also considering the pixel C and although I don't like the weight and price of that, it's got a lot of good points.
The Lenovo tab 4 10 plus could be good too, but I don't see much support for that happening in the future. In that case I'd rather pay a 100 more and get the pixel.
ASW1 said:
I don't think I will subside, I haven't made my choice yet. But if there's no way of using a navigation bar instead of the hard keys that's probably going to be a deal-breaker for me.
I'm also considering the pixel C and although I don't like the weight and price of that, it's got a lot of good points.
The Lenovo tab 4 10 plus could be good too, but I don't see much support for that happening in the future. In that case I'd rather pay a 100 more and get the pixel.
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Click to collapse
I was a previous user of the Nexus 9 as well and the T813 I got now is much better (except for the speakers). As for the buttons, using Omni you can use on screen nav buttons natively and disable the hardware buttons (I find the hardware buttons better but YMMV).
ffh2303 said:
I was a previous user of the Nexus 9 as well and the T813 I got now is much better (except for the speakers). As for the buttons, using Omni you can use on screen nav buttons natively and disable the hardware buttons (I find the hardware buttons better but YMMV).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your response, are you using Omni yourself?
I'm wondering how well the softkeys work. I presume for instance the on screen keyboard gets moved up a bit so that the space bar for instance is not partly underneath the navigation bar? (Don't know how else to explain this without giving an example)
ASW1 said:
Thanks for your response, are you using Omni yourself?
I'm wondering how well the softkeys work. I presume for instance the on screen keyboard gets moved up a bit so that the space bar for instance is not partly underneath the navigation bar? (Don't know how else to explain this without giving an example)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm using Omni myself. Just switched from LineageOS yesterday in fact. So far it runs great with Magisk and my usual apps. As for the navigation bars, the experience is just like the Nexus 9 where the space bar is moved on top of the nav bar instead of under it. It's not an overlay afterall.
ffh2303 said:
Yes, I'm using Omni myself. Just switched from LineageOS yesterday in fact. So far it runs great with Magisk and my usual apps. As for the navigation bars, the experience is just like the Nexus 9 where the space bar is moved on top of the nav bar instead of under it. It's not an overlay afterall.
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Click to collapse
And why did you decide to move away from lineageOS? I see that for each Omni install you have to do a full wipe. I was hoping that on my next tablet I would get away from flashing custom roms because it just eats up too much time. I'm not very enthusiastic about buying an S2 just for putting Omni rom on it and making myself dependent on that.
Maybe I'm just being too picky, love the screen and form factor of the S2 but I don't want to use this clicking home button all the time. I had that for a while on an iPhone that I used and I hated that button more every day.
ASW1 said:
And why did you decide to move away from lineageOS? I see that for each Omni install you have to do a full wipe. I was hoping that on my next tablet I would get away from flashing custom roms because it just eats up too much time. I'm not very enthusiastic about buying an S2 just for putting Omni rom on it and making myself dependent on that.
Maybe I'm just being too picky, love the screen and form factor of the S2 but I don't want to use this clicking home button all the time. I had that for a while on an iPhone that I used and I hated that button more every day.
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Click to collapse
I'm was having some weird stutters with LineageOS + Magisk so I figured I'll try Omni. I share your sentiments as well about having a tablet that I don't need to mess about with but right now there's just not much of a choice available. The Pixel C has issues, the Tab S3 is outrageously expensive (in my country) and the Zenpad 3S has no root so I'm left with the Tab S2. I actually had an iPad Air 2 for a month before buying the Tab S2, but I sold it because it can't do what I need it to do and iOS gets on my nerves.
ffh2303 said:
I'm was having some weird stutters with LineageOS + Magisk so I figured I'll try Omni. I share your sentiments as well about having a tablet that I don't need to mess about with but right now there's just not much of a choice available. The Pixel C has issues, the Tab S3 is outrageously expensive (in my country) and the Zenpad 3S has no root so I'm left with the Tab S2. I actually had an iPad Air 2 for a month before buying the Tab S2, but I sold it because it can't do what I need it to do and iOS gets on my nerves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, what couldn't you Air 2 do that you needed it to do? I have both an Air 2 and an 8" Tab S2 and I'm finding I use the S2 more because of the handy form factor and it does most things I want it to do quite well.
The S2 is the first Android tablet that I haven't rooted and put a custom ROM on - I'm sticking with Nougat and Nova Prime as a launcher.
What did you buy? I find now nav bar pesky on my phone and like capacitive buttons though like you don't like mechanical button (replaced with swipe up) , i hate it in iphone too, they could have ridden of that stupid home button years ago, completly useless but they persisteed. Now iphone x, swipe to home. I remember I was doing that with ipod touch 2 and 4, swipe to home with activator cydia app. After 7 years they've decided to do the same, what a progress
I went from the Nexus 9 to the 8" tab S2.
It isn't blazingly fast, but its very consistent. (which is the opposite of the Nexus 9.) I use an app that swaps the hardware buttons the other way around. The S2 can also keep a few things in memory unlike the N9. :victory: